


Entropy

by SerBridgetDock



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Red Lotus AU, Red Lotus Korra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerBridgetDock/pseuds/SerBridgetDock
Summary: It's been 17 years since Avatar Aang died. For a few years there, all anyone could talk about was the new avatar. Who were they? Where were they? Will they be able to fill his shoes? And then, for whatever reason, no one brought it up ever again. It's like the Avatar just up and disappeared again. But that's fine. The world kept moving without them before, it can do it again. Or so Asami thought. When Amon shows up in Republic City, it seems like the only person equipped for this could be the Avatar. If they were around, at least.ORThe "What-If-The-Red-Lotus-Did-Kidnap-Korra-When-She-Was-Five?" fic
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 15
Kudos: 76





	1. A Delayed Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sure that this has been done half a million times. but i just rewatched korra again and my mind went kinda wild with this idea. so here we are

There really is nothing quite like the smell of machinery in the morning. It’s such a familiar smell that Asami almost always expects it at this point. Even when she isn’t tinkering with something like she is this morning, the smell always finds her. Either it’s her dad toiling away, or she happens to walk past the garage, or decides to head to the track, or even just goes for a drive. It’s a sharp, distinct smell that she will forever associate with being home.

Today, of course, the smell is being overrun with the scent of oil. Another familiar smell, but far less welcome. But, alas, her satomobile was in desperate need of an oil change. She’d put it off a bit too long, so today was the day to do it. Not that she minded. Oil changes always had this comforting, mind numbing effect on her. It didn’t require a lot of effort or thought like the majority of her other projects, but it still gave her something to do with her hands. It was soothing.

“Excuse me, Miss Sato,” a voice calls.

Well, there goes that mind numbing effect.

Asami rolls out from under the hood of the vehicle to see her butler standing at the entrance to the garage with his hands clasped at his back.

“You have a visitor,” he says answering her curious expression.

Before she can ask who it is, Mako appears behind the much shorter man wearing the most pitiful expression Asami has ever seen. Pitiful was not a good look on him. It makes her stomach twist painfully at the sight.

“Asami, I need your help.”

“Mako!” She’s on her feet before even thinking about it. She’s at his side immediately. She thinks about holding his hand, but then remembers just how grimy hers are, and holds herself back. “What’s wrong? What happened?” She dips her head lower to get a good look at the bags under his bloodshot eyes. “You look exhausted. Were you up all night?”

“It’s Bolin, he went missing,” Mako explains. Or at least tries to. “He gets himself in trouble a lot. I mean, not a lot, a lot. But still, a lot. And he stupidly went and took a job with Shady Shin. Even though I’ve _told him_ not to talk to him anymore. And now there are equalists involved and Bolin’s still missing and no one knows where to find them and--”

“Whoa, slow down,” she soothes. She guides him to a few boxes nearby for them to sit on - there aren’t really any actual chairs in here. “Take a deep breath.” Mako closes his eyes and inhales deeply. On the exhale, some steam rolls out of his nostrils. He opens his eyes again, and that pitiful look is softened. “Tell me what happened. But, slower this time. And pretend I know nothing about Shady Shin.”

He exhales again. “Bolin never came home yesterday. I went out to look for him. You know, check the places he normally hangs out. But he wasn’t there either. An old friend, back from when we lived on the streets, told me he took a job with Shady Shin. With the Triple Threat Triad.” Asami’s jaw sets. But she doesn’t dare interrupt him. “Apparently all the triads are getting scared. They wanted some extra muscle for something big. So Shin asked Bolin. And he said yes. I thought it was a turf war brewing and somehow Bolin got caught up in the middle of it. But when I went to the Triple Threat’s headquarters he wasn’t there. No one was. The place was trashed.

“That’s when the equalists showed up. They took him, Asami. They took my brother. I tried chasing after them, but I was on foot and they had chi blockers. I didn’t get very far.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what they want with him. Where they’re taking him. I just…” His head drops. His jaw clenches for a brief moment. His lifts his gaze back to hers, the pitiful look returning. “I need help.”

Asami exhales through her nose. “Why didn’t you come find me yesterday? I could’ve helped then.”

He looks off to the side. “I figured I could handle it on my own.”

She places her hand on his knee, deciding a little oil would be better on his clothes than his skin. Her touch drags his gaze back to her face. “Well, now we’ll handle it together.”

His hand covers her and he offers a half-hearted smile. “Thank you, Asami.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiles back. Then an idea pokes at the back of her mind. She inclines her head at Mako and arches a brow smartly. “Did you just come here because I’m a non-bender?”

Mako’s face turns bright red. He leans about as far back as he can without toppling off the boxes. “What? No. Of course not. I--”

Asami laughs. She rocks back on her boxes, shaking her head at him. “Relax, Mako. It’s fine. I get it. I’d probably do the same thing if I were you.” She stands up and walks back over to her car. “Let me finish this up and then we can get going. I think I might have an idea on where we can get some answers.”

* * *

A hastened oil change, a quick cleanup, and a short drive later, they arrive outside Kyoshi Park. As Asami steps out of the vehicle, she can feel Mako’s gaze on her.

“You really think we’ll find answers here?” he asks a little incredulously.

Asami turns to him and places a hand on her hip. “There’s an equalist protester who’s set up camp here in the park. Spouts a bunch of nonsense all the time. If anyone has an idea on where we can find the equalists who took your brother, he might be our best bet.”

Mako looks unconvinced. “Seems like a stretch.”

“It’s a start, Mako.”

He sighs, his shoulders rising and falling dramatically. “Sorry. You’re right.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Guess I’m just tired.”

“That’s what you get for staying up all night,” she teases. He tries to scowl at her, but she can see right through it. She turns toward the park and gestures for him to follow. “Come on.”

It doesn’t take much effort to find the protester. Like usual, he’s standing up on a table in front of a banner of the equalist leader, Amon. With a megaphone in hand, he’s shouting at anyone that will listen about the need for equality.

“Equality now! We want equality now!”

“That’s the guy,” Asami tells Mako.

His jaw sets and he strides forward with all the bravado of a pro-bender.

“Whoa there, tough guy.” She grabs his hand and pulls him back to her. He looks the short distance down at her with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. She fights the urge to roll her eyes and gestures at the protester. “He’s protesting peacefully. We don’t have to go at him like he’s the one who took Bolin. We can just talk to him.”

Mako’s shoulders relax. “Alright,” he concedes.

“Non-benders of Republic City! Amon calls you to action! Take back your city!”

Asami walks to the table the man stands on, weaving between the three or four people already there. She looks up at the protester with her most winning smile. It’s enough to get him to falter mid-sentence.

“Hi,” she says.

He lowers the megaphone and looks between Asami and Mako, then over to his partner sitting behind the desk. “Hi there! Are you interested in joining our cause?”

Asami lets her gaze drop to the table and the stack of fliers sitting on it. She looks back up to the protester who’s smiling broadly at her. “I was hoping to learn a bit more about your movement, actually.” She gestures back to Mako, calling the firebender forward. “My boyfriend and I heard some nasty rumors about it. That you’ve been kidnapping benders in the dead of night.” She laughs. “I know that can’t be right. All you guys want is equality. Kidnapping people wouldn’t accomplish that. Right?”

The man smiles. “Exactly! We’re not violent at all!” The man hops off the table. He grabs one of the fliers off the table and flashes it in front of Asami. “The best way to learn about our movement is to come to the Revelation tonight.”

Carefully, she takes the flier from the protester, pretending to look it over carefully. It depicts yet another image of their leader, Amon, with his hand extended up in the air. The background is painted in a way to make it look like light is coming from his open hand. _Witness the Revelation tonight, 9:00_ , it reads.

Mako shifts behind her to get a look at the flier.

“What’s this revelation?” he asks, a bit too accusingly.

The protester cowers slightly, but he still answers the question. “No one’s really sure. But it’s a chance for Amon to tell anyone who’s willing to listen how we can achieve equality in Republic City. You’ll get any answers you might want there.”

Asami tips her head down. “Where will it be?”

The man smiles. “That’s the trick. You have to figure it out.” When Asami stares at him, he leans toward her conspiratorially. She glances down to see another few fliers in his hand. “Everything you need is on the fliers.”

She takes the other fliers and nods, knowingly. “Got it.” She glances up at Mako. The poor guy is still at a loss. She turns back to the protester. “How many people do you think will be there? We won’t be the only ones, right?”

The man’s smile turns a bit unsettling. “Oh, there will be enough of us. Don’t worry. You’re not the only ones brave enough to stop by.”

It’s a trial to return his smile. She carefully folds up the fliers before putting them in her inside jacket pocket. “Thank you for your help.”

She loops her arm through Mako’s, forcing him to turn around and stop staring at the protester. She walks him back towards her satomobile. His shoulders are tense again and his eyes are narrowed.

“How was that helpful?” he asks. “We still don’t know where this Revelation is.”

Asami sighs. She shouldn’t be surprised it hasn’t clicked yet. He’s sleep-deprived and stressed beyond belief. But honestly, she thought he was smarter than this.

Once they reach the car, she pulls the fliers out of her jacket. She lays them out over the hood for him to see. It takes her just a few seconds to line up each one to reveal the map on the back, as well as the red dot denoting the location of the Revelation.

“It’s a map, Mako,” she says.

He comes up alongside her, his eyes wide with shock. He points at the red dot. “That must be where it’s going down.”

Asami nods, letting him believe he put the pieces together. She folds the fliers back up and returns them to her inner jacket pocket. “It’s downtown. Near one of my father’s factories. Couple blocks over.”

Mako stares at her. “Wow, you really know the city like the back of your hand.”

She smirks at him. “Didn’t you and Bolin grow up here just the same as I did?”

He glances off to the side, his cheeks burning red again. “Yeah… but we never used a map. We just knew where stuff was.”

She laughs at him again. “Come on. Let’s go back to my place.”

He doesn't move, however. “What? Why aren’t we going straight there?”

“Mako, we have over twelve hours until then. We don’t need to loiter until it starts.” She looks him over again, taking in his ruffled clothes, the half-lidded and bloodshot eyes. “Besides, you could use a nap.”

He waves her off. “I’m fine.”

“ _Fine_ isn’t going to be good enough if we have to deal with chi blockers later.”

His scowl returns, but only briefly. He lets out a sigh that turns into a soft smile. “You’re right.”

She smiles. “I know.”

When they hop back into the car, she glances over at Mako. He’s not looking at her, a slightly distant look in his eye. She might’ve been willing to believe that was just because he was tired if she didn’t know he’d already gone looking for Bolin by himself once already. It might be a bit paranoid of her, but she’s sure he’s thinking of how he can get over to the Revelation without her.

She swivels in her seat to jab a finger at his chest. “And if you even think of going there alone tonight, we are over.”

His golden eyes go wide as he stares back at her. He lifts his hands innocently. “I won’t! I promise. I wasn’t even thinking about it.” But the creeping blush rising up his neck suggests otherwise.

“Don’t you lie to me, Mako.”

A hand goes to his chest. He dips his head toward her, his brows turning upward. “Asami Sato, I promise. I won’t go there without you.”

She stares at him a few moments longer. She turns forward and starts the satomobile. “Good.”

* * *

Mako kept his word. Probably only because of how immeasurably exhausted he was. The moment they made it back to Asami’s mansion, he found the nearest couch and knocked out for hours. Asami used the time to work on a plan of how to get in and out of the Revelation.

Getting in will be easy, she’s sure of it. As long as Mako keeps his cool - which he normally does when he gets a full night’s (or day’s) rest - no one would ever know he was a bender. They’ll be able to get inside easily enough and assimilate into the crowd. They’ll need disguises. Or at least she will. She doesn’t exactly dress like the sort of people she imagines are the sort looking for equality. And if it turns to a fight, she’d prefer it if the equalists didn’t know she was involved. The last thing she needs is for Future Industries to get targeted.

Getting out will be a little difficult. Without seeing schematics of the place, she’s kind of flying blind. But she knows what the majority of the buildings in the area are like. Her dad helped design almost all of them. They all use steam engines for power, for one thing. The buildings in this area are also mostly warehouses and factories, and that means that a lot of safety precautions need to be installed. Safety precautions that most other buildings don’t have. That means there are fire safety standards in place, including sprinklers. If she can get those to start up, that could cause enough of a distraction that they could escape. She could probably even cut the lights if it comes down to it.

The other good thing about these warehouses having ridiculous safety standards (warranted, yes, but still ridiculous) is that there are exits just about everywhere. They’ll likely be guarded by chi blockers and whatever other muscle the equalists have, but between the two of them Asami’s certain they’ll be able to get past them. Especially with an adequate distraction.

Once Mako finally wakes a few hours later, Asami is sure she has enough of a plan figured out that this whole thing will go off without a hitch.

“I think I have a plan to get us in and out,” Asami tells him when he finds her in her room.

“Good. We might need one,” Mako admits.

“The only problem is, I don’t know what we’re walking into.” She looks up at him for the first time since he walked in. His brow is pinched. Not in concern, though. Determination. From one look at him, she can tell he doesn’t care if they have a plan or not. “Anything could happen once we get there.”

“I trust you, Asami. We’ll figure it out.”

She looks away from him again and back at the plans laid out in front of her. She gnaws on the inside of her lip. “Alright.” She pushes back from the desk. She turns to Mako and places her hands on her hips. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

They find the place easily enough. Asami makes sure to park a block over, down a darkened alleyway. They don’t need anyone seeing them pull up in the most expensive vehicle in the city. They want to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

Arm in arm with Mako, they walk to the factory Asami was sure the map pointed to. Sure enough, there are a few other people walking in. Asami follows the short, disparate line of people to a large man standing near the main entrance. Each person that comes up to him flashes a piece of paper in front of him. As they get closer, she can see it’s the flier. She mentally pats herself on the back for thinking to bring it with them.

When they reach him, they’re the only people still standing out in the cool night air. He looks down on them with the same disinterested look he’d regarded everyone else with.

“This is a private event. No one gets in without an invitation,” he says. If his stature wasn’t intimidating enough, his voice would be enough to scare off most people. But Asami’s not most people.

She can feel Mako tensing at her side, realizing they don’t have an invitation. She doesn’t leave him the room to come up with a lie or scramble to figure out what the guard means. She simply reaches into her coat and pulls out the flier.

“Here you go,” she says cheerily.

He takes the flier from her hand with a brighter smile than she’d expected. “The revelation is upon us, my brother and sister.”

 _How cultish_ , Asami thinks.

The guard steps aside and lets them through.

Once inside, Asami’s eyes dart around the place. It was definitely designed by her dad, that much is clear. As comforting as that thought is (since it means her plan should work), it’s also disquieting. She refuses to let that line of thinking fester in her mind, pushing it aside to focus on the task at hand.

When they reach the main chamber, they’re floored by the sight of what looks like hundreds of people standing before a massive stage. The stage is well lit with more equalist iconography hung up. No one’s standing on it. Yet.

Mako’s arm falls from Asami. She watches him walk toward the rail of the overlook, a haze in his eyes.

“I knew a lot of people hated benders,” he says, sounding a little detached. “But I’ve never seen so many in one place.”

She stares at him, unsure of what to say.

He comes back to earth with a shake of his head. He takes her hand in his and starts walking to the stairs. “Keep your eyes out for Bolin.”

Walking toward the middle of the crowd, Asami lets her gaze wander. It doesn’t look like there are any other guards or chi blockers, but she doesn’t doubt they’re here. They could even be in this crowd right now, just to make sure no benders snuck in. Benders like Mako. She also, selfishly, looks to see if she recognizes anyone in the crowd. She’d largely ignored the equalists as they grew in numbers, but she knew a number of people who kept tabs on them. Her father for one. The chief for another. Thankfully, she doesn’t recognize any of the faces around her.

Then the lights flash on on stage. Smoke crawls across it, clinging to the ground. It’s a nice touch, Asami has to admit. Probably using dry ice to get the effect just right.

“Please welcome,” a voice rings out over a loudspeaker. A panel in the floor opens up, flooding the stage with even more life. “Your hero, your savior… Amon!”

Cheering erupts around them. The smoke billows and parts as air rushes up from the trapdoor. At the same time, a platform slowly rises up through the opening. Standing atop it, all with their hands at their backs and their heads down, are seven figures. At the center is Amon, wearing that ridiculous mask and hood. Five of the others are chi blockers in their usual uniform. The seventh is who Asami believes is Amon’s right hand man. He dresses similarly to the chi blockers, but his face is open and he wields some sort of weapon. From the complexity of his suit, Asami guesses it’s more than a simple blunt weapon.

Asami feels Mako tensing at her side. She squeezes his hand reassuringly. He squeezes back, but only lightly.

Amon steps off the platform, a spotlight following him. He stops right in front of the microphone on stage. The entire room falls silent. He lifts his head dramatically, and then begins his speech.

“My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren’t rich, and none of us were benders.” He takes the microphone from the stand, holding it in front of his mask. “This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father.” The masked man turns to pace up the stage, to make it seem like he’s talking to all of them. “One day, my father confronted this man. But when did… that firebender took my family from me…” Asami’s throat closes. She swallows to try and clear it and the memories threatening to flood her consciousness. “Then he took my face.”

The whole crowd gasps. Well, all but Asami and Mako. Mako stares at him with vitriol, a little too blatantly in this crowd. Asami just feels her mind struggling to stay in the present, memories of her own firebending related tragedy just at the edges of her thoughts.

“I’ve been forced to hide behind a mask ever since.” He takes a pause here, to let that settle over the crowd. “I know some benders, benders like the members of this city’s council, say that bending brings balance to the world. But they’re wrong.” He paces up the stage again. His hand gestures are growing more definitive, more dramatic. He’s gearing up for his final point. For his Revelation. “The only thing bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era, but that is about to change.

“I know you have been wondering, ‘ _what is the Revelation_?’ You are about to get your answer.” Mako and Asami exchange a nervous glance. “Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the avatar has failed humanity. That is why there is no new avatar. Instead of a new avatar, they have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality - the power to take a person’s bending away. Permanently.”

There’s another gasp. Asami isn’t left out this time.

“That’s impossible…” Asami says under her breath.

“This guy is insane,” Mako agrees.

“Now, for a demonstration,” Amon declares. Amon turns to the side, gesturing to one of the side wings where the chi blockers had disappeared to. “Please welcome ‘Lightning Bolt’ Zolt, leader of the Triple Threat Triad and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City.”

With hands tied at his back and a chi blocker walking him out onto stage, this Lightning Bolt Zolt saunters onto stage, glaring at Amon. The crowd immediately starts booing. Zolt simply rolls his eyes.

“Ah, boo yourself,” he spits.

Four other men are led onto stage by the chi blockers, each with their hands tied at their back. The fourth and final captive brought out is Bolin. His eyes are darting around the whole place, absolutely petrified. For such an impressive pro-bender and angel of a human being, to see him reduced to this makes Asami’s heart break.

“There’s Bolin,” Mako says at her side.

Asami removes her hand from Mako’s. She takes a few steps back, mentally mapping out how to get to where she would imagine the sprinkler system is. “I’ll make a distraction. You get your brother.”

Mako turns to her, his eyes wide. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

She hesitates a moment. “Yeah, of course.” Her eyes narrow. “I thought you said you trust me?”

“I- I do. Of course I do.”

“So trust me, Mako.”

His shoulders rise and fall with a deep, nervous breath. “Alright. Just… be careful.”

“Always.”

Asami weaves her way through the crowd, following her mental map to where she’s certain the sprinkler system is. All the while, Amon is orating to the crowd still.

“Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing non-benders, but his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now in the interest of fairness, I will give Zolt the change to fight to keep his bending.”

“You’re gonna regret doing that, pal!” Zolt announces.

Asami trudges onward as the sound of firebending fills the factory. She ignores the lightning, too, even when it threatens to rip through the factory altogether. But when the room falls silent again, just as she reaches the hall she needs, she freezes. She turns around just in time to see Zolt fall to the ground. Amon backs away a few steps. Carelessly, he puts his hands at his back and stares down through his mask at Zolt. The Triad leader, physically exhausted, throws a wild shot at Amon… but there’s no fire. His strike fails.

A murmur ripples through the audience.

“What- what did you do to me?” Zolt asks, genuine fear on his face for the first time all night.

“Your firebending is gone… Forever.” Amon announces, not to Zolt but to the audience. Zolt doesn’t matter to him at all. All that matters tonight is proving his power. And any bender that gets caught in his crosshairs will become another example.

Asami takes off down the hall.

“The era of bending is over!” she hears Amon’s voice reaching her even from here. “A new era of equality has begun!”

She takes a sharp left to head down to where she hopes the sprinkler system should be. As she does, she nearly barrels straight into one of the chi blockers. She skids to a stop before backpedaling a few paces. She pushes her hair out of her face and sheepishly smiles up at the chi blocker.

Only, this isn’t a normal chi blocker. She’s not wearing a mask. Now, Asami’s no expert, but she’s pretty sure the chi blockers are told to always wear their masks. That’s what makes their smoke bomb tactics so effective. They don’t have to breathe it in. But here’s this girl, wearing a chi blocker uniform, but no mask in sight. She regards Asami with a cold indifference.

“So sorry,” Asami says. She crosses her legs. “I just _really_ need to find a bathroom. One of the other… er, people here said there was a bathroom back this way. But all these halls look the same and--”

“Do whatever you want,” the girl says bluntly.

It’s so abrupt that Asami forgets herself. She stands up straight again and stares at the other girl. “What?”

“I don’t care. Do what you want,” the girl repeats, already bored with Asami. She brushes past her, actually pushing her out of the way.

Asami jerks backward, a little surprised at just how strong the shorter girl is. She stares after her a while longer, confusion and curiosity taking the place of caution. She’s already taken the first step to follow after her when she remembers Bolin.

 _Focus, Asami_ , she tells herself.

She turns back to where she was headed and starts running again, only a bit slower this time. She can still hear the fighting going on back at the stage and knows she has a very small window to create a distraction so Mako can get to his brother.

Thankfully the sprinkler system is exactly where she’d hoped it was. And not too far away is the circuit panel. She’ll have to be quick with both. The moment the sprinklers go off, the equalists will know someone set it off manually. And if they know the layout of this building as well as they seem to, they’ll know where the control panel is. They’ll be here in minutes.

She looks over the sprinkler system quickly, very much unfamiliar with it. But sure enough, there is a “flush system” valve. She turns that and immediately water starts raining down from overhead. Even from here, she can hear the crowd’s panicked shrieks as they all get soaked.

Wasting no time, she rushes over to the circuit panel. It pops open under hardly any pressure at all. She doesn’t even bother figuring out what circuit breakers are connected to what. She just shuts them all off. The panicked shrieks turn into screams as the entire factory is descended into darkness. And that’s when the sound of firebending reaches Asami’s ears.

Her head snaps up. “Mako,” she mutters.

She runs back through the hall, keeping a hand against the wall to guide her. She uses her own memory and the sound of firebending to guide her back to the main room. Stepping back into the room, she is nearly hit by a wild blast of fire.

She leaps back into the hall, mentally cursing Mako for the wild shot. When it seems another isn’t coming her way, she peeks out again. When she does, her jaw hits the ground.

It wasn’t Mako that sent the wild blast of fire. It’s that girl. The one dressed as a chi blocker. She’s launching blast after blast at Amon, all the while leaping around the stage with flame propelled forces strong enough to nearly reach the ceiling. Amon is able to dodge all the attacks, but there appears to be a desperation in both their movements.

Asami shakes her head, reminding herself to look for Bolin and Mako. She sees them, finally, off the stage, slightly hidden behind an overturned table. Mako is looking around the dark room, probably for Asami. Bolin on the other hand, has his head tucked down and is covering his neck, probably fighting the desire to dig his way back out of the factory.

Asami sprints over to where they are, pushing through the confused and mostly blind crowd. Mako finally spots her, illuminated by the mystery girl’s wildfire that has caught some sections of the stage on fire.

“Asami!” he whisper-shouts.

Bolin’s head perks up and a smile breaks across his face when he sees her. “Asami!” He leaps to his feet and runs for her. “Okay, let’s go. I do not want to lose my bending!”

“Who is that?” Asami asks, the only one concerned about the mystery girl.

Mako runs up to them now, placing a hand on Asami’s shoulder. “Don’t know. Don’t care. Let’s go!”

“Mako, no!” She says. She shakes his hand from her shoulder and gestures to the girl. “If we don’t help her, she’ll lose her bending too!”

As if to prove her point, the mystery girl collides with the wall. Asami had looked away, so she didn’t see how it happened. But the girl’s down. And it doesn’t look like she’s getting back up any time soon.

“If she didn’t take on Amon, you probably wouldn’t have been able to get to me anyway,” Bolin admits shyly.

Mako groans. “Okay, fine!” He turns around, rolling his shoulders just as he does before every pro-bending match. “Bo, whip up some cover. I’ll distract Amon. You two go get her.”

“On it!”

The brothers break apart, Mako going right and Bolin going left. Asami follows behind Bolin, but she keeps her eyes on the girl up on stage. Amon is slowly walking over to her now. It’s hard to hear without the microphone and with all the chaos around them, but she’s certain he’s saying something to her. Even now, when she’s likely unconscious.

In front of Asami, Bolin lifts his arms up. With a strained grunt, the ground shifts. Dust and dirt flies up in the air around them. The sound of the earth shifting followed by the cloud of dust is enough to get Amon to stall. Asami watches him turn over his shoulder to where the audience was. But with the dark and now the dust, he can’t seem to see them. She hopes.

And then Mako, brilliant Mako, he lightning bends. He’s so well hidden in the dark and dust that it’s near impossible to see where it’s coming from. It doesn’t last long, but it’s enough to get Amon’s attention. The masked freak turns away from the girl, satisfied that she isn’t going anywhere, and runs off stage in search of the source of the lightning. Asami silently thanks Mako. And then she’s running. Didn’t even wait for Bolin to lead the way again.

She vaults up onto the stage in a single bound. She can hear Bolin pounding after her, a small gasp of surprise escapes him as she does it.

Not caring where Amon or the other chi blockers are, Asami bolts for the girl. She skids to a stop in front of her unconscious form. She waits only a brief moment to check and make sure the girl is still breathing. Her breath steams against Asami’s skin. Relieved, Asami shifts to her side. She grabs the girl by her broad shoulders and hefts her up. She’s heavier than she looks. But Asami can manage.

Bolin, of course, is right there. He offers his shoulder to help carry the girl out. Flashes of lightning and fire in the dark are enough to know that Mako is still back there, likely fighting with Amon now.

Asami worries that by saving the girl, she merely traded one firebender for another. But when she and Bolin reach the edge of the stage, Mako leaps from the darkness. He crashes into the stage, transitioning into a roll. He’s back on his feet in seconds and catches up with them.

“Bolin! Cover!” He shouts, and he switches places with his brother to carry the girl alongside Asami.

“On it!” Bolin returns.

He spins out from under the girl and sends up another dust cloud, this time with a little less exertion than last time.

Asami takes the lead now, remembering where the nearest exit is. “Come on. This way,” she whispers at them.

She guides them through the semi-dark and dust cloud, through a side door, and down a hall to the exit. Light filters through the door’s window, making it clear they’ve finally found a way out.

Mako looks over at Asami. He starts easing the girl’s weight entirely onto Asami. “Got her?” he asks, genuine concern in his face and voice.

“Yes,” Asami says a bit harshly.

She’s had her this whole time. She doesn’t need his or Bolin’s help in carrying her.

Mako doesn’t notice the tone, however. He shoulders open the door and steps through. He moves off to the side of the door, looking out into the area around them. He waves her and Bolin through. Once all four of them are outside, Mako slams the door shut. Bolin spins around and bends a block of earth up in front of the door.

“The car’s this way,” Asami tells Bolin.

She trudges onward, not waiting for either of the brothers to come over and help her carry this mystery girl.

“You brought the car?!” Bolin falls into step alongside Asami with the dopiest smile she’s seen him wear yet. “Have I ever mentioned how happy I am that you’re a part of the family?”

She smiles over at him. “You may have mentioned it once or twice.” It wasn’t worth saying they weren’t really a family. She was just dating his brother. But after his night, he could live with that delusion if he really wanted.

The whole rushed walk over one block, Mako takes up the rear looking around to see if they’ve been followed. When they arrive at the satomobile, he’s still keeping guard. Bolin helps Asami get the girl in the backseat by leaning the passenger seat forward. Asami climbs into the backseat with the girl and settles her down on it. She gets a seat belt around her waist and manages to lean her against the side of the satomobile and not fall over. Satisfied she’ll stay seated even though she’s unconscious, Asami looks her over real quick, just making sure she’s not visibly injured.

All she can really see is the girl’s face. And that’s… well, it’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. Her hair’s a bit ruffled, and one of the wolf tails looks about ready to fall apart, but otherwise she’s perfect. Asami runs her hands over the well-fitting clothing, checking for any blood soaking through. She can’t find any.

“We can check for injuries later,” Mako barks from a few steps away. “Let’s get out of here before they find us.”

Asami’s mind springs back to their actual current situation, and not just the one where they have to get this girl to safety.

“Right,” she says, a little out of breath.

She leaps over the seat and slides into the driver’s seat. Mako and Bolin get situated in the front and back seat respectively, just as Asami gets the engine going. She peels away from the curb, only looking back to check on the girl once, before speeding out of there.

It’s not until they get back uptown that Asami’s shoulders finally relax, and her grip on the steering wheel eases up a bit. She slows down, as well. And that’s when a panicked shout comes from the back seat.

Bolin reacts first. He nearly launches himself out of the seat and into the street. “Oh! Oh boy! She’s awake!”

Mako spins around as well. Asami can’t do the same and has to use her mirrors to see the girl is very much awake. Her blue eyes are wide and wild with fear. She attempts to get out of the car, but is forced back down to the seat by the seat belt that Asami made sure to use. Her hands scramble for the buckle, anger filling her gaze.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Asami tries to soothe the girl. But Mako and Bolin are a touch louder.

“No, no, no you don’t want to take off your seat belt,” Bolin is saying, but he’s also refusing to move toward her and help her. “That’s a big no no!”

“Whoa now, calm down!” Mako shouts, as if shouting ‘calm down’ at someone will make them do just that.

With a yell, the girl gives up on the buckle and simply rips the seat belt from the car. Asami’s jaw drops.

“Oh, that’s gotta be expensive,” Bolin mutters.

“Wait, don’t!” Mako shouts.

Asami had to look back at the road for a second. Looking back now, she sees the girl standing up in the back seat. And then she jumps.

“Shit!” Asami swears.

She slams on the breaks. Tires screech and the car drifts to the side, the rear end swinging out, dust kicking up in their wake. When the car finally stops and the dust settles, the girl is gone. Just completely disappeared.

“What the…?” Mako trails off.

Asami’s the first one out of the car. She’s running toward where she was sure the girl jumped from. Where she should’ve hit the asphalt, and hit it hard. She comes to a crashing halt when she finds the spot. And instead of the girl, or even the normal asphalt, there’s a hole. A perfectly circular hole that burrows into the earth so far she can’t see where it goes.

Bolin and Mako come to a stop alongside her. Mako places a hand on her shoulder, but she won’t look away from the hole. A hole very clearly made with earthbending.

“Wait… wasn’t she a firebender?” Bolin asks, putting words to Asami’s confusion.

“She probably wasn’t alone, Bolin,” Mako answers dryly.

“Okay. Well, if she wasn’t alone, why weren’t her friends with her at the rally?”

Mako throws his hands in the air. “I don’t know!” His logic was failing to explain how that girl got away from them. So was Asami’s. “All I know is that that girl was very clearly firebending. So she didn’t do this.”

“I know you’re right, Mako, but how else do you explain it?” Bolin asks.

“I don’t know,” he huffs. “But if we see that girl again, I’m gonna find out.”

As their conversation continues around her, Asami is mentally doing calculations to figure out how difficult it would be for an earthbender not in the vehicle with them to open up a hole, just big enough for one person to fall through, at the exact right time for the girl to disappear into. Moreover, how the girl could be so certain the earthbender would open it in the right spot. By all accounts, the math doesn’t check out. And math has never failed Asami before.

One thing’s for sure: if she sees that girl again, she’s going to ask more questions than just how she escaped.


	2. To That End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, folks, it’s a controversial call, but the Wolf-Bats notch a nasty knockout to win the match. For the fourth year in a row, they’ll be crowned Tournament Champions!” Shiro announces.
> 
> “Controversial call?” Asami balks. “That whole match was controversial.”
> 
> “There’s always next year, Asami,” Hiroshi answers.
> 
> She sits up straight and sighs. “You’re right. I know. But it would’ve been amazing if we won.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come say hi on twitter/instagram (@bridgetserdock) or tumblr (@bridgetserdocksketches)

It’s a long night. Longer still when Mako insists on going to the police station in order to report what happened. There’s no denying that the officers writing up the report are far more critical of Asami than the pro-bending brothers.

What was she doing there? How did she know the layout of the building so well? Why did she know what a chi-blocker’s uniform looked like? How did a building her father designed end up as a rally location for the Equalists? To call it exhausting is an understatement. It gets to a point where Asami asks them if they’re planning to arrest her. Chief Beifong steps in after that and the tune changes, thankfully.

Asami drives Mako and Bolin home once all is said and done. Bolin sleeps the whole ride over. Mako broods. Not that Asami minds. It leaves her the room to mentally run some more calculations. Maybe there’s some variable she just isn’t taking into account with the girl’s escape. Something she’s overlooking.

By the time she gets home, she’s running on autopilot. She parks the satomobile in the garage, abandoning the keys on their normal spot in a dish near the door. She walks into the mansion through the nearest door before turning toward her room, shutting lights as she goes. All the while thinking through what happened tonight with that mystery girl.

She’s not sure just how fast they were going, but she’d guess it was around 60 kilometers per hour. It should’ve only taken the girl a second the hit the ground, but her momentum would’ve carried her forward with the car. So whoever opened the hole would’ve had a second to open the hole at the exact right spot in order to catch her. And it couldn’t just be a straight shot down, either. With her forward momentum the hole would have to curve so that she didn’t smack into the side. Asami has never met an earthbender with that sort of precision. It just makes no sense.

Unless the hole was already there? Asami certainly doesn’t remember seeing it as they drove past, but she was a little distracted during that drive. Distracted and a little stressed.

What if the girl hit the ground, and then the hole opened up? That would be possible. There was a lot of dust kicked up for her to slip away in. But it wasn’t that thick. And Asami was looking right at her when she jumped off. So were Mako and Bolin. They all saw the same thing. She just disappeared.

There must be another variable. Something else she hasn’t thought of. There has to be. It’s the only explanation.

“Asami? Is that you?”

Asami’s head snaps up at the sound of her father’s voice. A light flicks on down the hall and her father steps out of his office. He’s still in his day clothes. Looks like they’re both having a late night.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Hiroshi asks, stalking down the hall to her. He’s trying to scold her, but the worried tone underneath it all gives him away. “I’m going to have to have a talk with that Mako.”

“Dad, it wasn’t a date.”

“I know you left with Mako earlier.”

“Well, I did go out with Mako. But we weren’t on a date. We were looking for Bolin.”

Hiroshi’s steps stutter. He blinks at her, finally taking in her slightly disheveled look and defeated expression.

“What happened?” He asks.

Asami takes in a shaky breath. “He was kidnapped by Equalists.”

His eyes widen. “What? Are you sure it was the Equalists? I thought they’re peaceful protesters.”

“I thought so, too. But we found Bolin at an Equalist rally. At their _Revelation_.”

“You went to that?” Hiroshi balks. “Asami, they may be peaceful, but the people drawn to those rallies are crazy. That Amon brings in a dangerous crowd.”

“I know that, but we had to find Bolin. We had no idea where he was or what was happening to him. And when we got there…” A shiver runs down her spine. “Dad... Amon can take people’s bending away.”

Her father draws in a sharp breath of air. “Only the Avatar could do that.” But as he says it, it’s clear he doesn’t believe it. Not anymore.

“I _saw_ him do it. It was terrifying.” Asami hugs her arms to her chest. “He was going to take Bolin’s bending away. He would’ve if we weren’t there. Bolin didn’t do anything wrong. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“Oh, Asami,” her father sighs. He steps forward and wraps her up in his arms. Asami rests her head on his shoulder and breathes in his scent: machinery and cologne. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. But you’re okay now. You’re _all_ okay, right?”

She lets out a shaky breath, sagging into his embrace. She nods into his shoulder. “Yeah. We are.” They’re okay in the loosest sense of the word possible. But, yeah. Ultimately okay.

“Good,” Hiroshi says.

He holds his daughter for, in Asami’s humble opinion, not nearly long enough. But when her eyes start to slip shut, it’s probably for the best that he releases her.

“You want to tell me how exactly tonight happened?” he asks her. “I’m sure it’s a bit more involved than just that Bolin went missing.”

Asami nods. “Yeah, okay. I could use your help figuring something out, anyway.”

“Oh?”

And that’s how Asami spends the rest of her night. Together with her father, going over the events of the night. Then they work together to try and figure out how that firebender could have escaped. Of course it simply yields the same results. Even with her dad’s help, the math doesn’t check out. It would be near impossible for the girl to disappear even if she was an earthbender and opened the hole herself. But seeing as she’s a firebender, it makes even less sense. It’s closer to morning than night when she gives up and decides sleep is far better than battling it out with the calculator any longer. Hiroshi, equally exhausted, agrees.

* * *

Over the next few days, word of the Revelation spreads like wildfire. Everywhere Asami goes, people are talking about it. The mix in responses is a bit unsettling to say the least.

Benders and non-benders alike can’t seem to talk about anything else. Every bender is scared. Worried for their safety. The same can’t be said for non-benders. Some are afraid because they know benders. Others are afraid because of the power this gives Amon. As far as anyone knew, only the Avatar could take someone’s bending away. But if the spirits are giving that ability to a non-bender, what does that mean for the Avatar? Are they truly gone? Was Aang the last one?

And then there are the people who seem happy about what happened. These are mostly non-benders, but Asami has overheard a few benders applauding Amon’s “cleansing”. It’s no secret that Lightning Bolt Zolt was a bad person. Everyone knew the name and knew to steer clear of him, benders and non-benders alike. But the majority of that fear was derived from his bending. With that gone, he isn’t much of a threat anymore.

Asami gets the sentiment. More than most, she wishes that benders didn’t use their abilities like that. But she also knows that removing someone’s bending isn’t going to stop them from committing crimes. It’s not a solution. If anything, it causes more problems.

With Zolt out of the picture, there’s a power vacuum. In-fighting among the Triads will surely happen. And innocent people will get caught in the middle of it. Or at least that’s how this should go. In a most confusing turn of events, there’s no fighting. If anything, there’s less gang activity than ever before. Less crime, even. Somehow that’s more unsettling.

And then the United Republic Council sanctioned anti-Equalist task force is formed. As if there isn’t enough tension in the city, the Council goes ahead and does this. Of course it’s comprised entirely of benders, too. But that’s what happens when the ones making the rules are all benders.

And of course, Amon uses it to his advantage.

It’s late one evening while Asami’s driving through the city on her moped when his voice comes crackling across the radio.

“Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is your leader, Amon.”

Asami nearly causes an accident when she hears his voice. She peels off to the side of the road, slightly out of breath, to hear it better over the passing traffic. She’s not the only one. It’s like the whole city comes to a stand still, with a mixture of reactions on everyone’s face.

“As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear.”

The broadcast crackles out, and the radio resumes its normal programming.

Asami snaps back to reality, the sounds of the city crashing back around her. She shakes off the feeling that people are staring at her. She speeds off the curb, heading home, swallowing a rising fear before it can nest itself in her mind.

* * *

Over the next few days, the task force - headed by Councilman Tarrlock - has varying successes in their attempts to stop the Equalists in their tracks. They make a few arrests, and find some actual evidence on other Equalists and Equalist locations. But as far as Asami can tell (from the news and the police scanner in her satomobile), that evidence never turns up anything. That, or it’s a red herring and the task force will break into a perfectly normal private residence.

All their “successes” just drive a further wedge between the benders and non-benders of Republic City. Everyone’s in desperate need of a distraction, something to bring everyone together. So the Pro-bending tournament couldn’t come fast enough.

The tournament does mean that Mako has far less time. He has to train and practice far more than he did before the tournament. Asami doesn’t mind as much as she thought she might’ve. She throws herself into her work at Future Industries and a few personal projects. They still make time for each other at night after his practice and her work. So who cares if late at night, she also spends her time trying to decipher the mystery of that firebender girl from the other night?

The first night of the tournament almost sneaks up on Asami altogether. Only almost. She never lets anything catch her surprise like that.

She’s there in her father’s box before the tournament begins. That first match for the newly sponsored Future Industries Fire Ferrets is their quickest match yet. Hasook seems to struggle a bit in the first round, but Bolin and Mako more than make up for it. As much as Asami is disappointed that the all-female Rabaroos didn’t get a chance to do better, she can’t deny how amazing it is to watch the Fire Ferrets win. More amazing is getting to celebrate with them afterward.

Republic City feels far less tense after that. There’s an excited current everywhere. All anyone can talk about is the tournament, even if it is in a disgruntled tone. Asami doubts anyone’s forgotten about Amon or his Equalists. But they’re no longer the first thing on anyone’s tongue. Instead, they’re talking about the Future Industries Fire Ferrets. Okay, not _just_ them, but the underdog team does come up quite frequently.

The Fire Ferrets hold their heads high as they walk into the arena for the quarter-finals. They face off against the Black Quarry Boar-q-pines. This match is a bit more evenly matched, but thanks to some fancy footwork from Bolin, the Fire Ferrets manage to come out on top.

The excitement in the city only builds. Talk trends towards the Fire Ferrets again, a sense of pride burning through Asami. Not that she really has anything to do with it. Sure, Future Industries is sponsoring them. But that’s her father. Not her. Still, she’s immensely proud all the same.

The semi-final match is even closer than the one against Boar-q-pines. Shiro Shinobi says it best, “you can’t find two teams more evenly matched in age, size, and strength than the Fire Ferrets and the Buzzard-Wasps.” Despite that, all three members of the Fire Ferrets manage to keep up their level of coordination from the nights prior. Even Hasook, who is known to slip up more often than the brothers, manages to stay on his feet throughout the match. Ultimately it’s decided in a tie-breaker. Mako volunteers, and seals their victory.

They’re off to the championship!

Asami runs off to the locker room to congratulate them, not caring in the slightest bit to watch the Wolf-Bats’ match. She barely makes it through the door before the bell is ringing again. All three Fire Ferrets turn to the arena in disbelief. Asami herself has to pick her jaw up off the ground.

“It’s already over?” Bolin balks.

“With a brutal round one knockout, the defending champs secure their spot in the finals,” Shiro announces.

From their vantage point, Asami can just barely see what’s left of the opposing team. All three members need medics to pull them out of the water and load them onto gurneys. A pit forms in Asami’s stomach.

“I hope the Ferrets know a good doctor, because they’re gonna need one!” Shiro says.

Asami worries that he’s right.

* * *

The following day, the Ferrets are in practice all day. So Asami uses that time alone to work on her newest project: an improved hydraulic stabilizer for Future Industries forklifts. Her dad was drafting up new designs that allowed for greater mobility of the forklift, but was running into an issue with stabilization. To speed things along in the production, he’s passed off that part to Asami. But since the blueprints aren’t done just yet, she has to guess as to what problems need to be overcome. It’s just the sort of mental challenge she needs to make sure she doesn’t stress too much about the finals match tonight (or, you know, other pressing current issues).

She has a radio playing in the background at a low volume, just to offer some white noise. Her excitement for the upcoming match was leaching into all of her thoughts. She needed something to cancel out the extra noise and be able to focus on her projects, something simple like the music hour (even if it is sponsored by Cabbage Corp).

When static filters through the speakers, Asami just assumes she must have jostled the radio without realizing it. Absent-mindedly, she reaches a hand over to retune it back to the right frequency. And then an unfortunately familiar voice reaches her ears.

“...citizens of Republic City. This is Amon.” 

She immediately switches dials and turns the volume up, turning all of her attention to the radio.

“I hope you all enjoyed last night’s pro bending match, because it will be the last. It’s time for this city to stop worshipping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the Council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals or else… there will be severe consequences.”

Without much forethought, Asami abandons the stabilizer project and speeds across the city to the Pro-bending Arena. The whole ride over, she has the radio turned down in favor of the police scanners her father installed on all their vehicles. They’re scrambling, trying to find out how Amon managed to take over the broadcast. But it’s clear that they have no idea and are not going to find out. At least not today.

By the time she gets there, the place is swarming with cops. Metalbenders, specifically. Asami spots Mako, Bolin, and Hasook in the lobby, still wearing their practice gear. Bolin’s the first to see her. He breaks off from the other two and waves her over.

“Asami! Hey!” He says as she joins the Fire Ferrets. “Guessing you heard the broadcast. Scary stuff, huh?”

It was a marvel he wasn’t panicking. It was only a few nights ago that he was almost on the wrong end of one of Amon’s broadcasts.

“Yeah. I couldn’t really stay focused after that,” Asami admits.

“Are you okay leaving work in the middle of the day like this?” Mako asks, genuine concern in his voice.

“My dad’s the CEO, Mako. I’ll be fine.” She glances past the Fire Ferrets to the metalbenders wandering around. “Does this mean the tournament’s still on?”

“Guess so,” Hasook grumbles.

“Butakha just came back from the Council meeting with Chief Beifong and Master Tenzin. They’re personally securing the whole place. As long as they deem it secure, the tournament’s still on,” Mako explains.

“Are they sure that’s a good idea?” Asami asks. She steps closer to the three pro-benders before lowering her voice for the next part. “We saw what Amon’s capable of. I doubt a few metalbenders will be able to stop him.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Hasook mumbles.

Mako shoots the waterbender an aggressive look. “Like I already told you, _Hasook_ , chi-blockers can’t penetrate the armor that the metalbenders use. Even if Amon is crazy enough to come and somehow manages past _a few_ officers, he won’t be able to take out the entire police force.”

His logic is sound. Assuming Amon only comes with chi-blockers tonight, that is. Sure, all they saw at the Revelation the other night were the chi-blockers, but there’s no way to know what else the Equalists have at their disposal. Metalbender armor might be impervious to chi-blockers, but that doesn’t make it universally impervious. All it would take is finding the chink in the armor. Asami’s sure that if she gave it much more than a few seconds of thought, she’d be able to figure out how to circumvent that armor. It’s not much of a stretch to think Amon could do the same.

“Besides, we can’t quit now,” Bolin says emphatically. “The tournament is the only thing bringing benders and non-benders together right now. Heck, _I_ almost completely forgot about Amon because of it. And the guy almost took my bending away!”

Asami chuckles. “You make a good point, Bolin.”

Mako places a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine, Asami. Chief Beifong has personally guaranteed our safety.”

She sighs with a nod. “You’re right. I guess I’ve just been a bit on edge ever since the Revelation.”

“We all have,” Hasook admits. “Which is why Bolin’s right. We need this tournament.”

Bolin’s jaw hits the ground. He turns to Hasook with wide, watery eyes. “Did you just say I was right?”

Hasook crosses his arms over his chest. “Don’t make me repeat it.”

Bolin wraps the waterbender up in an over exuberant hug. “You do care!”

At Hasook’s groan, Mako and Asami laugh, a real earnest laugh. All worries about the championship match tonight set aside. Not forgotten, just put away for the time being.

* * *

The announcement that the tournament is still on drops just as Asami leaves the Arena. And once again, the entire city is excited. An electric thrum courses through the city’s very veins. It’s just what Asami needs to ignore the pressing worries in the back of her mind. Of course, it does make focusing on the stabilizer project that much more difficult. But with a healthy dose of caffeine and music, she manages it. She gets the amended plans to her father’s office with more than enough time to get home, get changed, collect her father, and head back to the Arena.

In the few hours since she was last at the Arena, the atmosphere has changed almost completely. There are a multitude of airships, boats, and trucks deployed by the Metalbending Police Force all around the Arena. Despite the show of force, the whole place is thrumming with anticipation. There’s a sizable crowd out front waiting to get inside. Not too far off from that crowd, but almost as large, is a group of photographers and journalists, each one angling to the one to break whatever story tonight will bring. On top of it all, the metalbenders are milling about keeping order while also keeping an eye out Amon and his fellow Equalists. Asami has never seen the place so crowded.

Having their own box to sit in, Hiroshi and Asami are greeted just outside the main entrance by two security guards and one officer. The three of them escort her to her box. Seems a bit overkill. And Asami tells them as much. But the officer just tells her that those are his orders.

In their box, Asami attempts to situate herself in her favorite seat, ignore just how many police officers are in the place, and settle her nerves. It doesn’t really work, but the routine at least lets her not think about how little it’s working.

Of course, when the announcer appears on stage, all those nerves and anxious thoughts fizzle out.

“Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!”

Illuminated in a spotlight, out come the Fire Ferrets. Bolin is playing up the crowd, as usual, attempting to show off his muscles through the bulky fabric of his new uniform. Hasook is smiling broadly and waving at the crowd. Mako opts his usual stoicism. Though Asami notes his smile all the same. When their eyes meet, she blows him a kiss with a wink. Without missing a beat, he winks back and blows her a kiss in return.

Their platform reaches the main stage, and the cheers quiet down just a bit. Bolin had spent the past few days assuring Asami that he and Pabu had been practicing non-stop to have the perfect performance. That it would knock hers, and everyone else’s, socks off.

Wearing his own little Future Industries uniform, Pabu manages to do just that. With some assistance from Bolin, their little mascot performs an impressive acrobatic feat involving flips, walking on his paws, and leaping through a hole just big enough for him to wiggle through. While it doesn’t quite resonate with her father, Asami thinks it was absolutely adorable.

“And their opponents! The three time-defending champions, the White Falls Wolf-Bats!”

Of course, the Wolf-Bats come out with even more flair. Donning all too realistic wolf-bat masks and flowing black capes, the champions howl up into the air with a pyrotechnic spectacle at their back. Explosions and gouts a fire erupt around the stadium to their howls. The display is met with a mix of boos and cheers.

“Well, now that just seems like a bit much,” Hiroshi says to Asami’s right.

Asami nods her agreement.

Both teams make their way to center stage to face off, and it feels like all of Republic City holds its breath.

And then the bell rings.

It becomes immediately and abundantly clear that this is no ordinary pro-bending match with Tahno, the Wolf-Bat waterbender, committing a blatant foul on Hasook. Hasook is thrown back immediately to zone two. Mako and Bolin take a beat to acknowledge what happened, more specifically to try and get the ref to acknowledge it. He doesn’t.

He doesn’t call the hosing foul on Bolin, either. Or when Ming, the Wolf-Bat earthbender, bends a disk outside of his zone to trip up Mako. He doesn’t even blink an eye when Tahno sneaks in some ice bending that knocks Bolin in the water, which Shaozu immediately melts away.

Asami and half the Arena are on their feet yelling at the ref on the first foul. By the second one, Asami realizes that they’re not looking to be fair and impartial. By the third one, the rest of the Arena has figured it out as well. And by the fourth, the only thing anyone can think to do about it is shout obscenities or sit in bitter resignation.

“I don’t know what match the refs are watching, but it’s obviously not this one,” Shiro announces.

Asami flops back in her seat with a scowl. “More like they were paid off,” she grumbles.

Mako and Hasook are barely hanging on. Just before buzzer goes off denoting the end of the round, Ming and Shaozu aimed both their attacks at Mako while Tahno went after Hasook. Mako dodges the fire, but the disk knocks him off the edge. Hasook manages to evade Tahno’s attack, staying on the stage just long enough for the round to end.

The second round starts even hotter and faster. The attacks are getting strong, more brutal and aggressive. But the Fire Ferrets know that the Wolf-Bats aren’t playing fair anymore. So this round they’re keeping an eye out for it. Even the illegal headshots Shaozu sends at Mako.

The round ends with a tie breaker. Asami can’t help but smile when Mako knocks Shaozu and his smug little smirk off the stage.

The final round has an explosive start. Explosive in that the Wolf-Bats commit another illegal move. Ming broke up one of the disks that Tahno then used in his waterbending to knock out the Fire Ferrets with nasty headshots.

“Well, folks, it’s a controversial call, but the Wolf-Bats notch a nasty knockout to win the match. For the fourth year in a row, they’ll be crowned Tournament Champions!” Shiro announces.

“Controversial call?” Asami balks. “That whole match was controversial.”

“There’s always next year, Asami,” Hiroshi answers.

She sits up straight and sighs. “You’re right. I know. But it would’ve been amazing if we won.”

“We?” He chuckles.

She smiles over at him. “The Fire Ferrets are our team, aren’t they?”

Hiroshi laughs. “That they are.”

Tahno’s irritatingly smug voice reaches out over the Arena to them in their box, dragging Asami’s attention back to the world outside her and her father. “Anybody else wanna scrap with the champs?”

But Asami doesn’t look at the Wolf-Bats. Instead, her eyes track up to the stands beyond them, across the Arena. Where strange blue flashes emanate from within the crowd. She gets to her feet and walks to the edge of the box, as if that would give her a better glimpse of what that light could possibly be.

“What is that…?” She trails off.

Hiroshi is at her side, looking just as concerned and confused as she feels. “I’m not sure.”

The flashes start coming in quicker succession, and a bit closer to their box. And then Asami realizes what it is.

“Those are electrical flashes!” she says. She leans over the edge of the box to get a better view of what’s going on beneath her. “People are being electrocuted!”

The door to their box is flung open. She stands up straight and spins around at the sound. In come three Equalists, each wielding the same glove as the ones taking out the metalbenders. Asami takes a step forward, putting herself between then and Hiroshi.

“Asami, don’t!” He says. “They won’t hurt us if we just do as they say.”

The Equalist in the center takes a step forward and levels the glove at Asami. Electricity crackles out of the center of the glove. Of course Amon wouldn’t be stupid enough to use chi-blockers on the metalbenders. He’d find some other way to get around their armor. Their highly conductive armor.

“I suggest you sit back down, Miss Sato,” the Equalist says. His eyes flash to Hiroshi. “You too, Mr. Sato.”

She glowers at him. But when her father sits back down, she follows suit. The lead Equalist stands off to the side of Asami, while the other two flank both her and her father.

“The real show’s about to begin,” the first Equalist says.

Asami eyes him warily. She can’t maintain eye contact, however, when there’s movement back at center stage. The center platform had descended when she wasn’t looking. Standing atop it, with his usual six chi-blocker shadows, is Amon. Naturally. Choosing the most dramatic moment to reveal himself.

Silently and with a particular sort of menace only a shadowy, faceless organization like the Equalists can achieve, all seven members advance on the Wolf-Bats. The reigning champs attempt bravado, but are visibly shaken.

“All right, you want a piece of the Wolf-Bats?” Tahno goads. But there’s no emotion in it. “Here it comes.”

Much like with Zolt and the benders at the Revelation, Amon seamlessly dodges his and his teammates' attacks. While the pro-benders are focused on what everyone would assume to be the bigger threat, the chi-blockers incapacitate all three with carefully placed bolas. The champions are brought to their knees before Amon.

From their box, Asami can just barely hear Tahno pleading with Amon to stop. Offering the masked man anything he could possibly want. Amon, unfortunately, is not interested.

He strips all three athletes of their bending and tosses them into the water below. Asami grits her teeth as Equalist banners are hung all around the Arena.

This was planned. Well and carefully planned. She’d be willing to bet Butakha had a hand in this change in events. He’s the Director of the pro-bending league. The Arena is his building. He’d know who has access to what. And he’d be able to make sure that Chief Beifong and her metal benders didn’t find whatever access the Equalists had. Asami’s willing to bet that’s why he even went to plead their case with the Council. To make sure tonight went down as Amon had planned.

“I believe I have your attention. Benders or Republic City. So once again, the Wolf-Bats are your pro-bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory. Because every day you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending citizens, just like the Wolf-Bats did to their opponents tonight. Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world. And yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there-- if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate.”

The crowd gasps. Asami’s stomach twists. This is all just performative. He simply wants the whole world to know what he’s capable of, and to think of him as a serious threat. But to what end?

“Now, to my followers. For years, the Equalist have been forced to hide in the shadows. But now, we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City. I’m happy to tell you that the time for change has finally come. Very soon, the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced with a fair-minded Equalist government. It’s time to take back our city.

“For centuries, benders have possessed an unnatural advantage over ordinary people. But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field. Now anyone can hold the power of a chi-blocker in their hand. My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality. And once that goal is achieved, we will equalize the rest of the world. The revolution has begun!”

Oh. To that end.

With his fist raised in the air, in his perpetual dramatic flair, he stares skyward. Drawing everyone’s attention up to the Equalist airship now overhead. Asami’s jaw drops. She’s never seen an airship with that sort of design before. Where’d they even get it?

Several wires come crashing through the ceiling of the Arena, reaching down to meet Amon and his chi-blockers. Just as the wires reach the stage, a wild blast of fire so hot Asami can feel it from her seat launches from somewhere unseen in the Arena. It’s aimed directly at Amon. The masked freak and his consorts dodge the attack and start their ascent up to the airship overhead.

“What in the world…?” Hiroshi trails off.

Another blast from the stands. Asami finds the source, and she feels her heart stop. Her breath catches in her throat. It’s the girl from the Revelation. The only difference between now and then is her outfit. She’d abandoned the chi-blocker uniform, who knows where, in favor of a much more subtle outfit. One that allowed her to blend into the audience. But oddly enough, it’s traditional waterbender attire. A tight, blue sleeveless shirt over baggy pants stuffed into fur lined boots. Some unidentifiable fur wrapped around her waist.

How does she keep showing up like this to face off against Amon? Or better yet, why?

The girl takes out two Equalists equipped with the electrical gauntlets in the stands. She barely even pays attention to the next two running at her. Instead she turns toward the stage and leaps into air. In an epic feat of bending prowess, she launches herself at the cables as they ascend. And somehow she manages it. She catches the wire, landing on the platform at the bottom of it. She even knocks off the chi-blocker that was standing there.

Her wire stops moving, however. The rest of the Equalists make it up to the top of the Arena. The gauntlet wielding Equalists in the Satos’s box start backpedaling out of it. The officers around the Arena seem to be coming to consciousness. And then there’s the explosion.

It’s big. It’s hot. It’s bright. And it’s loud. But it doesn’t do much.

The stage is effectively useless, but that will be an easy fix. It’s not like it fell over completely. There’s no damage to the stands or the audience. Even that random firebender girl is still fine. Sure she’s dangling in mid-air, but ultimately she’s fine. It isn’t until the smoke starts to dissipate that Asami realizes the three Equalists are gone. It was just a distraction. So that the Equalists who came from the crowd could slip back into it and escape.

Asami’s on her feet immediately and runs to the door.

“Asami!” Her father calls.

She careens to a halt in the doorway, and bounces back to stare at him.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to find Mako, Bolin, and Hasook. They could be in danger.”

“ _We’re_ in danger!”

“We’re not benders, dad. We’re not the targets. They might still be.”

His mouth clamps shut. He sighs and glances off to the side. “Just be careful.”

“Of course.”

As she sprints through the Arena to the lower levels where the Fire Ferrets should be, she steals a glance up toward where the firebender was. The wire is vacant. There’s a flash of fear that the girl may have fallen and gotten injured. But then she sees the telltale signs of a fight breaking out on the glass roof overhead. Electrical flashes followed by blasts of fire. She’s okay. For now.

Asami catches sight of a metalbender swinging their way up into the air after the Equalists. She doesn’t get a good look, but she’s willing to bet it’s the Chief. No one else would go up there alone. No one, that is, but that girl.

Asami turns forward again, and picks up her pace. When she turns the corner to head deeper into the Arena, she nearly runs straight into Mako. They spring apart, their chests heaving.

“Asami!”

“Mako,” she sighs. She closes the gap between them, reaching up and touching his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“We’re okay, too, by the way,” Hasook chimes in.

Asami backs away from Mako enough to glance around him to see the rest of the Fire Ferrets. Both a little out of breath and visibly shaken up.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too,” Asami manages a laugh. She takes another step back, gesturing back where she came. “Come on. Let’s get somewhere a little less out in the open."

A loud crackling almost directly overhead followed by a pained scream drags their attention upwards. The ceiling has shattered. The girl is falling. Headfirst into the water. Limply. Like she’s unconscious. Asami hopes she’s just unconscious.

Then her eyes snap open. Brilliant, bright, and blue. Her head whips upward. She rights herself. With some fire at her back, she course corrects until she crashes into the stands not even 100 paces in front of Asami. She hits so hard, she leaves an imprint.

“Oh, that’s gotta hurt,” Bolin winces.

Before Asami could follow the potentially insane train of thought telling her to go and help the unconscious girl yet again, Beifong lands beside her. Asami didn’t know the Chief all that well, but her temper was well known. And Asami knew she’d never seen the woman that angry. She’d never seen _anyone_ that angry.

The Chief stomped over to where the girl lay. She bent earth up and around her limbs, pinning her to the ground.

Just as quickly as Beifong arrived, Master Tenzin comes running over. “What is going on?” He shouts at Chief Beifong.

She turns to him with a cold regard. “I’m apprehending a criminal.”

“A-a criminal?” Tenzin stammers. “What crime has she possibly committed?”

“She’s a vigilante, Tenzin! She was seen at the Revelation. She’s been taking on Equalists all over the city. And now she’s here.”

“So she’s helping fight this threat!”

“She’s causing more harm than good. If she weren’t here tonight, I could’ve stopped Amon.”

“Or you could’ve been captured!” Tenzin’s face has turned a deep shade of red. “I saw her knock that Equalist off of you. He almost had you.”

“She nearly launched me off the building in the process!”

As their shouting continues, Mako steps closer to Asami. He places a hand on her shoulder and leans toward her ear. “We probably shouldn’t be here for this.”

But Asami barely even registers his words. Or the argument, for that matter. Her eyes are trained on the girl. Despite being unconscious, she’s lying rather tensely. Her whole back looks rigid. Her arms are flexed as well. But her face remains calm, her lips parted slightly. All in all, the same as she looked the other night in the backseat of Asami’s car.

Then her eyes open.

Asami draws in a sharp breath. Not because she’s startled that the girl was more conscious than she let on. But because the girl is staring straight at her. Those blue eyes are so intense that it takes Asami a moment to collect herself.

In that moment, the girl slips out of the bonds Beifong made. Literally just slides out of them. Like they were just a size too big. She holds Asami’s gaze until she’s on her feet and running.

“Hey!” Asami manages to force herself to shout, no longer pinned under that sharp gaze. “Stop!”

Her shout draws everyone’s attention away from Beifong and Tenzin’s petty squabble. The chief whips around just as the girl disappears behind a stairwell.

“Hey! Get back here!” And she’s off running after the girl.

Asami takes a few steps forward, considering giving chase as well. But she thinks better of it. She instead stares after where Beifong and that firebender went off to. The firebender wearing water tribe clothing. Who could very easily slip out of the chief of police’s grasp. Who even was she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my god, Amon is a WIND. BAG. i swear, these speeches are directly from the show. and he has A LOT to say. just way too much

**Author's Note:**

> so because the world doesn't know where the avatar is, Amon doesn't have to accelerate his timetable like he does in the show. so the revelation happens a little later than it does in the show. notably AFTER Asami and Mako start dating
> 
> come say hi on twitter/instagram (@bridgetserdock) or tumblr (@bridgetserdocksketches)


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